Intrigue
by CrystalUsagi
Summary: Yaten is trying to move on, but he finds it hard as he literally runs into huge reminders of his first love.. Sequel to MTS, please R&R Part Three up!
1. Part One

Part One

Yaten set the heavy suitcase down on his bed, and sighed. It was good to finally come home after a long year in the Americas, and he was happy that their tour was finally over. Opening the suitcase, he started to unpack. Finally, he came to the framed picture. I was an old picture, taken over two years ago. He noted that the glass was cracked, probably during the awkward flight, and shook his head. He'd have to find a new frame. He rubbed the wooden frame, his fingers trailing across the carved letters.

'Shooting Stars...' Usagi had told him that it had taken her two whole months to hand make that frame.

He shook all thoughts of her out of his mind, as he had done so many times before. It seemed like a routine now. He thought about the last year in America. The tour had been great, and he had met lots of people he cared about, but somehow, he still wasn't happy. He didn't know why. Or maybe he did, and just didn't want to admit it. He looked around his room. It hadn't changed a bit, and he smiled as he remembered the fond memories he had shared with his beloved in this very room. The same memories caused him to grimace in pain just a few seconds later.

"Are you all right, sweetie?" Kyoka Saikii came up from behind him, and rested her chin on his left shoulder. Yaten was surprised. He didn't think she'd be at their apartment so early. They had just parted an hour ago at the airport. She must have been a fast un-packer. 

He smiled. Kyoka had been so dear to him. She understood how he felt. She understood a lot of things, especially his feelings about Her. They had met each other shortly after Seiji was announced dead, and Kyoka turned out to be one of her best friends. She had helped him sort out lots of misunderstandings he had regarding Her deception of him. He loved Kyoka. Not the same way he loved Her. No. He would never love anyone as much as he loved Her. But he loved Kyoka, because she was a lovable person. She was a good person. Sometimes he felt like he was betraying her, because he knew he didn't really love her the way she loved him. He felt guilty, because he could probably never love her in that heart wrenching, romantic, pigs-can-fly sort of way. But it would probably devastate her to know that...

"Yeah, I'm fine, although I didn't expect to see you so soon. I was going to pick you up for dinner. Looks like I won't have to." Kyoka frowned.

"Hmph! You'd think you were unhappy to see me, or something. I missed you..." Yaten grinned.

"Pumpkin, I just saw you an hour ago," he laughed, and turned around, pulling her into a warm embrace. A few strands of black hair fell across her eyes, and he brushed them away with one hand. She caught his hand, and kissed it.

"So, still on to go camping this weekend?" Yaten had almost forgotten about the camping trip. Kyoka had suggested they all go, and the others had agreed, although reluctant; scared to bring back old memories and hurt him again. Yaten hated being the spoilsport, and so he avidly agreed to go. 

Now he wasn't sure it was a good idea or not. He was tired, and he wasn't sure if that tiredness was going to go away in just three days. Kyoka was giving him a little frown. He smiled at her, hoping that she didn't notice the weariness he felt, because knowing her, she would have insisted they cancel if he didn't want to go. Secretly, that was what he

wished, but like before, he didn't want to be a spoilsport. "Sure. I'd love to go camping." He voiced his reply just right, so that she didn't think he was acting too happy about it, or too unenthusiastic. In the past year or so, he'd become real good at acting. Or rather lying. Yaten didn't want anyone feeling sorry for him, or worrying about him, so naturally, he acted as if he was all right. He'd probably never get to show off his talent of being able to lie at a blink of an eye, though, because he did not want people to know he wasn't all right. It would hurt them, and it would be a pesky anyway.

They went out to join everyone at the dinner table. Usagi had been at the airport to greet them, and had come straight to their apartment with them to help Seiya unpack, and see what kind of souvenirs he got her. She was now at the table chattering excitedly with Seiya about how cute the t-shirt he bought her was. The corners of my mouth turned when I remembered the fight he and Taiki had over which guy got the "I'm A Cute Girl; So Sue Me" shirt. Finally, Taiki decided that Ami would rather have the "Beware: Smart Girl" shirt.

He couldn't wait until Kyoka saw her present. On the trip to Hawaii, he had gotten her a gorgeous glass dolphin pendant. She had an obsession with glass objects and collected them all the time. She had three shelves full of little glass figurines, and even had his name engraved into a glass heart for his birthday. Needless to say, he kept it under his pillow. No, he was not heavy enough to break the glass!

He felt a small hand slip into his near the end of the meal, and looked at Kyoka.

"Want to go outside for a walk?" she asked softly. He smiled, nodded his- head, and slowly got up.  
  
  
  


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Meow.. Thanks for reading my story! Due to the fact that I am not sure if this story is such a good dea or not, please review it. The more reviews I get, the more inclined I will be to post more. Thank you! ^^


	2. Part Two

Part Two  
  
  
Their shoes made sounds on the sidewalk, but that was all there was. No voices, Nothing. Kyoka looked into her boyfriend's face and saw his thoughtful expression. He looked lost, and she recalled that he had had that same look when she met him at the cliff just a few weeks after "Seiji's" death. She had had crushes on lots of guys, and she had felt alone for quite some time. With her best friend too busy being an idol to do more than write letters and call her once a month, Kyoka had learned to depend on herself. She had experienced a recent heartbreak, and knew how it felt.   
  
Kyoka had sympathized with Yaten, and when they found out about each other's connections with Setsuka, they spent some time together. Pretty soon they were going on dates, and it seemed that they were patching up each other's lives. She always told herself it was just a rebound, but unknowingly (and unwillingly) she had fallen in love with him.   
  
Kyoka knew it was the right thing, and also the wrong thing. She just didn't know what to do about it, because she did not want to hurt him. She did not want to stay with him just because of that, but she could not break up with him, either.   
  
Kyoka sighed. 'Why do good things always happen to unsuspecting people?'  
  
"Why the sigh, love?" Yaten squeezed the hand he was holding tighter, and she tried not to flinch at the endearment he uttered. Instead, she smiled up at him again. She had nothing on Setsuka when it came to acting, but she was good enough.   
  
"Nothing. Just thinking how beautiful the sky is. Look at the stars," she replied, pointing at the constellation-filled heavens. The soft smile on Yaten's face vanished faster than one could say 'ouch'.   
  
"Now it's my turn to ask. What's wrong, sweet?" Kyoka was concerned; sure she had hurt him in some way. The smile was forced onto his lips again, and she decided that if he wanted to pretend, then she would let him, for the sake of preventing him from feeling worse. She leaned against him, and she put his arms around her to support her. She was glad that he had grown a few inches since that contest that had given him his 'lost love' and taken away her best friend.   
  
They walked on and on, until Kyoka noticed familiar territory. She laughed.  
  
"I guess we're both eager to see me safely at home," she remarked as she unlocked the door to her house. She smiled up at him, and tiptoed to kiss him chastely.   
  
"I think I better go to sleep now. I'm kind of tired, and I didn't leave anything at your house that needs to be picked up immediately."   
  
She smiled again. "Thanks for bringing me home, oh gallant knight."   
  
Yaten grinned. "Sure thing. I never knew you were a damsel in distress, but sure thing, pearl of my heart."  
  
'If I'm the pearl, Setsuka must be a diamond…' Kyoka wanted to whack herself for thinking such thoughts. She had no right to be jealous of her friend, since she was the person that came second, and she had known it for a long time, even before she agreed to start their relationship.   
  
"Sweet dreams, cutie," she said as she closed the door. Kyoka slid down to the floor, covering her face with her hands as she rested her head lightly against the door. She sighed. She hated that green-eyed monster of jealousy. Who would be jealous of a dead person, anyway?  
  
'You, obviously..' a voice called inside her head.  
  
*********************************************************************************   
Yaten noticed the clear sky as his eyes slit open and examined the glass ceiling. He noted the bird dropping, and frowned.   
  
'Better get someone to clean that up again..' he thought absently as he hurried to the bathroom. After brushing his teeth and using the bathroom, Yaten checked to make sure if it was really Saturday. The calendar showed that it was. 'Damn.' The three previous days had flown by quickly and quietly, all with Yaten lying in bed and reading Shakespeare or flipping through old albums. In a way he dreaded going to the resort, knowing that something was going to go wrong. Sure, he and Kyoka had established a relationship that was stable by most standards, but he was still frightened that when she might be hurt by his remembrance of Setsuka.   
  
The morning went by just as quickly as his three days had, and soon they were in the van that Taiki had rented for everybody. Taiki drove with Ami in the front seat with him while Seiya, Usagi, Yaten, Kyoka, Minako, Makoto, Rei, and Kurt (Minako's boyfriend who had turned out to be on Seiya's football team) occupied the back seats. Throughout the whole ride, Seiya and Usagi kept them entertained with amusing songs Yaten had never heard before, and that made him wish he was deaf after hearing them about twenty times.   
  
Finally after three love songs, a song about ice-cream (Usagi's idea) and a seemingly drunken version of Todokanu Omoi, they arrived at their destination. The familiarity of the place was like a slap at his face. It seemed to awaken him from the dreamworld he was in; this illusion he was playing over himself. He knew this had been bad idea... 


	3. Part Three

Part Three 

Minako sighed from her seat on the bed. She was perching on the edge

daintily, with a dreamy expression in her eyes, which seemed to sparkle more

every passing second. She smiled to herself as she watched Rei and Usagi

arguing about the hot new actor's eye color, and thought about her own hot new

guy. Kurt was all she had ever dreamt possible in a boyfriend. Sweet, caring,

gentle, funny, and gorgeous. 

She had run into him (literally) one day in the football field when she was on 

her way to deliver a message to Seiya from his girlfriend. He had been very 

sweet in his apologizing, and they had flirted a little. After what seemed like 

several attempts to process his request, he finally asked (a little too casually)

 if she would like to meet him somewhere later, like maybe, say, the arcade? 

She had given him her number, and was ecstatic when he called her the next day. 

She sighed again as she remembered their first date at the ice rink. They had 

spent the whole afternoon skating together, his warm hands enclosing hers as 

they both kept each other from falling. She had to remember to tell her 

not to reveal that she was an adept ice skater. Raising herself further onto the 

bed, Minako got under the thick comforter and elicited her third sigh of the

 evening as she closed her eyes and hoped for dreams of a certain someone to come.

Yaten hummed slightly to himself as he walked along the unfamiliar path. He was

feeling infinitely better this morning, and decided to explore the vast wilderness ("Yeah...in a camping resort"). Draped on one of his shoulders was a

towel. He quickened his steps, longing to feel the coolness of the water

cleansing him, refreshing him. The sun was just beginning to rise, since he had

awoken quite early that morning, and the warmth seeped into his skin, making

him feel alive for the first time since a long, long time; way too long to

count in days or months.

His impatience was beginning to surface when he saw

the grass beneath his feet gradually give way to nearly white sand, and felt

his feet sink into that sand as he took his steps. Soon, he heard the sound of

waves lapping at the shore in the near distance ("Using oxymorons again, are we

Yaten?") and decided to run the rest of the way into the ocean water. The

vision (because it seemed to him that it could only be a vision) he saw stopped

him. 

There she was, her copper red tresses a mass of waves around her, floating

about in the water. She was like a sea nymph, a magnificent sea nymph, and from

where he stood frozen for that mere second, he could see the glittering of

turquoise eyes embedded like precious gems on her perfect face. Yes, precious

and perfect, because she could be nothing less to him. She had her eyes closed,

seeming to enjoy the sea around her, reveling in the sheer miracle of the waves

caressing her green clad body. The smile on her lips captured him, because it

in itself was a miracle. She was alive! His Setsuka was alive! His Seiji...

********************************************************************* 

"SETSUKA!!" 

Chiyo opened her eyes to see a young man running towards her, an expression

of happiness and something else that she couldn't quite name clearly shown on

his handsome face. He looked familiar somehow, but she couldn't remember where

she had met him. It wasn't just that, either. She knew him; really knew him.

Brushing away some of the salty ocean water from her face, she swam closer to

the shore so that she was able to stand up. Within moments, she found herself

engulfed in lean, but strong arms. 

Suddenly, she felt an odd sensation in the back of her mind, and pushed it away 

quickly. Guys had never really interested her before; they were all too awkward 

and immature. It wasn't that she favored her own sex, but just that she didn't really 

care for love and relationships.

For this man to be able to get even a little reaction out of her like that was

unsettling. She shoved at him, trying to get free from his arms. "Hey! Let me

go!" At those three words, the arms immediately dropped. She pulled away from

him quickly, distressed that the man had the nerve to just grab her like that.

They didn't even know each other; or did they? The familiarity was

unmistakable. She knew him. Again, she dismissed the indescribable feeling,

ruling it down as silly. The look on his face now tore at her heart. He looked

stricken; devastatingly so, too. She was tempted to ask him what was wrong, but

then it wasn't any of her business. She decided to ask anyway. 

"Are you all right? What's wrong, anyway?" Silence, and then more.

Finally, he spoke, cracked voice almost inaudible over the sounds of the waves,

which had steadily gotten stronger.

"You're not Setsuka..."

Setsuka. That was what he had yelled the first time she heard him. She felt

goose bumps prickle on her skin. That was familiar too. She shook her head. She

was just paranoid. This guy was making her nervous. 'That must be why you feel

totally safe with him right now..' she berated herself for the thought. 

"No, I'm not. My name is Saiya Chiyo." Chiyo was relieved. That was why he had

grabbed her like that. He must have mistaken her for someone he knew...someone

intimate. Somehow, the thought both bothered her, and warmed her. She looked at

him. He had composed his face so that it was so passive that no one else would

ever have guessed an expression of such utter anguish was displayed on the same

face just moments earlier. 

"I..I'm sorry for my behavior, Saiya-san. Please forgive me," he said, and bowed low, 

all this done looking directly at the ground. He chanced to glance up at her, and saw 

him visibly wince. She wondered if she had a bug on her face or maybe since they 

were still in the water, a jellyfish, perhaps. She shuddered at the thought. Without 

another word, he turned his back to her, and made his way back to the path from which

 he came.


End file.
